Contents

Path to the Colossus

Head north from the Shrine across the land bridge. From here, there are two ways of getting to the lake. The most direct path is to proceed as if traveling to Gaius, but to continue on to the Stone Arch Gorge (quadrant D2), then make your way north to the lake. It is easy to get lost this way, however, as there aren't too many opportunities to get help from the sword in the dark canyons. The easier, but slightly longer way is just to go straight north to quadrant F1, then go east through the Dried Marsh (quadrant E1). The entrance to the lake will be in plain view, and you can use the sword at any time if you need to. There is a stone path leading out to around the middle of the lake, where you will find a pillar with a spiral walkway wound around it. You can use this walkway to reach the lake, or you could just dive in - either way, Agro will have to watch from where she is.

Walkthrough

Hydrus will be swimming deep underwater when you dive in. There is no special way of luring it up - just swim around above it and eventually it will make a pass at you. When it does, you will have to grab on, but doing so isn't easy. The colossus is protected by three giant electric spikes protruding from its back, which activate a sphere of highly-damaging electricity when submerged. The only safe spot is the area of fur at the end of its tail. Hang on tight.

Once you've been dragged through the water, the colossus will swim around at the surface of the lake, going in and out of the water to try and dislodge you with its electrical spikes. Your sword will show you a small place where you can stab at the base of each spike to disable them, but be very careful; this requires a near-fully charged stab at least, and the electricity will deal a massive amount of damage to you if you're too slow. You may not have time to disable all three spikes before Hydrus dives back underwater, which will eventually force you off. The colossus will eventually resurface, however, and you don't have to disable any spikes you took out previously. When you finally do make it to its head, you'll find its only major sigil. Stab it.

Weakspots

Location

Percentage of health

Normal

Hard

On its head

100%

Behind each spine (3)

Kills electric organs

Tips and tricks

It is possible to run past the first two spikes, but you must be extremely quick. With the small health bar you are given in Time Attack, the damage incurred from messing up will nearly kill you. The final spike must be taken out, as it protects the colossus's head.

Music

After passing under the arch at the beginning of the bridge over the lake, Lakeside plays.

Once Wander hits the water and a small cutscene plays, Silence starts. If Wander falls from Hydrus after grabbing on, the track starts playing again until he grabs on again.

In Awe of the Power plays once Wander grabs onto Hydrus and continues (so long as Wander remains on Hydrus) until the end of the fight.

Trivia

Hydrus is one of only 2 colossi that are fought in a body of water; the other water-dwelling colossus is Pelagia.

Hydrus is the first of three limbless, serpentine colossi the player faces over the course of the game, the other two being Dirge and Phalanx.

Hydrus is the second longest of all the colossi after Phalanx, with a estimated length of some 280ft/85.3m.

Hydrus is one of the furthest situated colossi from the central Shrine of Worship, and is also one of the most northerly of all; Argus and Celosia are roughly as far north as Hydrus.

Hydrus makes a lot of whale like noises.

After being defeated, Hydrus' body is seen sinking to the depths of the lake in which it resided. However, upon revisiting the lake after Hydrus has fallen, its body will have risen to the surface again. This is so that the player can enter Reminisence mode if they wish to do so. This is also true of Avion and Pelagia.

Prior to Wander entering the lake and initiating the fight, Hydrus can be easily spotted due to the fact that its three electrical spines discharge electricity even before the fight begins. However, if you observe Hydrus before the fight begins, it remains totally stationary, and will only move once you enter the lake and Hydrus' introductory scene plays.

Hydrus is the last colossus, until Cenobia, to have an intro scene that shows the area where the battle takes place.

Of all 16 colossi, Hydrus is the only one that Wander is capable of rendering completely harmless; once its three electrical spines have been nullified, Hydrus has no other means of attack, and will no longer be able to inflict any damage at all. It will continue to make passes at Wander as though it is still capable of electrocuting him, but since it cannot do this, it merely passes beneath Wander without him taking any damage.

While all colossi have all or nearly all of their health in their major sigils, some colossi have minor sigils which count as a very small percentage of the colossus's health. Hydrus is a unique case, however, as the three minor sigils behind each electric organ combined is nearly 35 - 40% of its total health.

Gallery

Image of Hydrus taken from the official artbook.

Hydrus swimming below Wander.

Wander atop of Hydrus.

Hydrus viewed from the side.

Wander on Hydrus' head.

Hydrus viewed from below.

Hydrus seen from high ground.

Hydrus' tail.

The entrance to Hydrus' arena.

Concept art of Hydrus.

Development sketch taken from the official artbook.

Sketches of various early designs of water based, serpentine colossi that would go on to become Hydrus.